Case Digest: CORAZON C. BALBASTRO v. COMMISSION ON AUDIT, REGIONAL OFFICE NO. VI 556 SCRA 729 (2008)

CORAZON C. BALBASTRO v. COMMISSION ON AUDIT, REGIONAL OFFICE NO. VI 556 SCRA 729 (2008)

The Commission on Audit conducted an investigation relative to the letter-complaint filed by the officers of the Iloilo City National High School (ICNHS) Teachers and Employees Association against petitioner Corazon Balbastro. COA discovered irregularities which Balbastro and Lydia Ocate, the Disbursing Officer of ICNHS, has probably committed. Based on said report, Ombudsman recommended upgrading of pending inquiry against Balbastro into criminal and administrative case. During the first preliminary conference, only Ocate and her counsel were present. On the second preliminary conference, Balbastro again failed to show up despite notice. The Ombudsman was thereafter prompted the Ombudsman to consider Balbastro’s and her counsel’s two consecutive absences as a waiver of her right to ask for a formal hearing and to present evidence on her behalf. Thereafter, the Ombudsman rendered a Decision finding Balbastro guilty of Grave Misconduct and imposing upon her the penalty of dismissal from the service with all its accessory penalties. Balbastro filed a Motion for Reconsideration but was denied.

ISSUE:

Whether or not Balbastro was denied due process and proceedings before the Ombudsman were attended by serious irregularities.

HELD:

Balbastro‘s only objection, as it turns out in her Reply, is that she was not able to respond to the charges specifically enough. Balbastro has no one to blame but herself, she having had ample time to do the same. Besides, if she really wanted to be more particularly informed of the charges against her, she should have attended the two preliminary conferences set by the Ombudsman, one of the purposes of which being to allow the parties to consider, inter alia, whether they “desire a formal investigation to determine the nature of the charge, stipulation of facts, a definition of the issues.” Balbastro goes on to claim the presence of the following irregularities in the proceedings before the Ombudsman: only one hearing was held, on December 19, 2001, where only Ocate testified; the case is bereft of any record containing the testimonies of complainant and its witnesses; the Ombudsman decided the case without even requiring the complainant and its witnesses to affirm and confirm their affidavits, if any were submitted, and testify on the unsworn and unsigned COA report which was furnished petitioner; and the members of the ICNHS Teachers and Employees Association who authored the letter-complaint were not presented during the formal investigation of the administrative case. 

Balbastro deprived herself of standing to raise these issues, however, for failing to show up for two consecutive times at the preliminary conference which thus constrained the Ombudsman to deem her to have waived her right “to ask for a formal hearing and present evidence” and led it to consider the case “for resolution based on the evidence on record as far as she is concerned.”